Fairy, don't be afraid, I, Wang Daqi, am truly an honest man.

"Why?" Wang Daqi was taken aback.

There are two reasons.

Xia Chunlian's expression was serious. "First, this bird-hunting competition is to hone the younger generation. The Xu family has a clear rule that only disciples in the Qi Refining stage can participate. You are currently under the identity of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, 'Xu Taibing.' If you lower yourself to try and steal those twenty spirit stones, Old Madam Liu will be the first to suspect that you have been replaced."

"Secondly, and most importantly, if you make a move, the energy of your cultivation technique will easily leak out. You haven't yet been able to fully simulate the spiritual power suppression of the Foundation Establishment stage. If you unleash a powerful spell in full view of everyone, those experts in the clan will definitely be able to tell that you are not a true Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Wang Daqi's initially excited expression instantly vanished.

Twenty spirit stones may not seem like much, but every little bit helps, not to mention the spirit fish.

But then his eyes darted around, and he glanced at Xu Yan, who was secretly laughing beside him. Suddenly, he smiled confidently and said, "Who said I was going to do it myself???"

He pointed at Xu Yan and said, "Let Yan Yan go!!!"

"Me?" Xu Yan was taken aback, pointing to herself and saying hesitantly, "Me, a 'personal maid,' can I really do this?"

Xu Yan was indeed unsure.

"It will definitely work!" Wang Daqi chuckled, his tone filled with unquestionable confidence.

He knew Xu Yan's current strength all too well.

During this time, under his careful guidance, Xu Yan had already mastered the Xuan Shui Arrow Technique to perfection.

More importantly,

Due to her long-term dual cultivation with him, a trace of his mysterious purple energy had already been integrated into Xu Yan's body.

This purple aura not only changed her physique, but also made her spiritual power far exceed that of others of the same level, and her spells also carried an indescribable and mysterious meaning.

Of course, Xu Yan herself was unaware of all this.

Wang Daqi looked at her intently: "Not only can you do it, you might even get first place. Even if those young ladies have some hidden treasures, with your Xuan Shui Arrow, getting into the top three is a sure thing."

Seeing the couple's confident demeanor, Xia Chunlian, sitting to the side, couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

Looking at Wang Daqi's unwavering trust in Xu Yan, she felt a strange, unprecedented sense of envy rising within her.

In this treacherous and perilous world of cultivation, what a blessing it is to have a trustworthy cultivation partner!

"If only I could meet such a caring and understanding Daoist partner someday..."

Xia Chunlian sighed inwardly, then shook her head self-deprecatingly. The path of cultivation is long and winding; there are hardly any good matches to be had.

I was really overthinking it.

"Well, since you two have already made up your minds, I won't say anything more."

Xia Chunlian stood up, trying to make her tone sound calm, "We have to go to Linghu early tomorrow morning, so you should all get some rest. I'm going back to the next room."

"Take care, senior sister, don't bother seeing me off!!" Wang Daqi waved with a smile.

Xia Chunlian pushed open the door and went back to the adjacent side room.

Once inside, she naturally didn't go to sleep immediately.

For Foundation Establishment cultivators, meditation has long replaced most of their sleep.

She sat cross-legged on the couch, took a deep breath to calm the frustration caused by the old lady of the Xu family, and then began to circulate her sect's cultivation technique.

However, before an incense stick's time had even elapsed, Xia Chunlian's keen ears twitched slightly.

A faint sound came from the next room.

At first, there was a suppressed gasp, followed by the soft creaking of the wooden bed, and then...

"Yanyan, let's practice those variations of the Xuan Shui Arrow again..." This was Wang Daqi's voice, low but with a wicked grin.

"Oh dear, Daqi... stop fooling around, I want more... um..."

Then came a series of extremely fast-paced, heart-pounding sounds.

Xia Chunlian's body suddenly stiffened!

The spiritual energy that was running smoothly almost lost its breath.

Her fair, porcelain-like face flushed red instantly, down to her ears, and even her fair neck was tinged with a blush.

This couple is simply... simply incredibly audacious!!

You should know, she lives right next door.

Walls have ears; don't they know how to avoid suspicion at all?

She's a Foundation Establishment cultivator; her five senses are incredibly sharp.

Although the noises were deliberately suppressed, they sounded so clear to her as if they were right next to her ear.

"This is really..."

Xia Chunlian gritted her teeth, feeling somewhat at a loss.

She wanted to shut out her hearing, but her practitioner's instincts made her subconsciously pay attention to the surrounding sounds in case of any emergency.

The once quiet and elegant side room now seemed to her like a red-hot iron plate.

Listening to the increasingly intense sounds of sparring next door, Xia Chunlian couldn't help but recall the scene of Wang Daqi pulling Xu Yan into the house earlier.

His mind was in complete turmoil, and he was no longer able to enter a meditative state.

She angrily grabbed a pillow and covered her head, cursing inwardly, "I really don't know what's so fun about this!"

The next morning, when Wang Daqi appeared in the courtyard looking refreshed, he found Xia Chunlian with two faint dark circles under her eyes, looking at him coldly.

"Uh... Good morning, senior sister!"

Wang Daqi felt uneasy under the stare and subconsciously touched his face.

For some reason, seeing Xia Chunlian's expression made him feel like he owed her hundreds of millions!

What's wrong with this senior sister?

Didn't sleep well last night?

That shouldn't be the case. Even if a Foundation Establishment cultivator doesn't sleep for three days and three nights, they can recover by meditating.

Why is this resentment even stronger than that of a vengeful ghost?

"Hmph." Xia Chunlian snorted coldly, swallowing the words of embarrassment and anger that were about to come out of her mouth. She said stiffly, "Make preparations. First, we will visit the eldest son of the Xu family, and then we will go to Linghu Lake."

"Okay," Wang Daqi replied repeatedly, not daring to ask any further questions.

The three of them first went to Liu's main house.

When the old lady saw her grandson come over to pay his respects, she held his hand and showered him with concern, while also giving Xu Yan a subtle glance.

The calculating look in their eyes made Wang Daqi and Xu Yan sneer inwardly.

After bidding farewell to Liu, the three set off for the residence of Xu Sheng, the eldest son of the Xu family.

This eldest son of the Xu family has a very high reputation in the clan and is also at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Upon learning that his cousin, who was far away in the Misty Sect, had returned home, Xu Sheng acted with exceptional generosity.

Before the person even arrived, their hearty laughter echoed from inside the hall.

"Hahaha! Taibingdi! You finally came back!!!"

The door opened, and a burly, distinguished man came out laughing.

He patted Wang Daqi on the shoulder warmly, appearing extremely affectionate.

After all, Xu Taibing was an elite disciple in the Foundation Establishment stage of the Misty Sect, backed by a major sect.

The Xu family will rely on this cousin for development in this area in the future.

"Taibing, this time you're back, you must stay a few more days. I've been worried these past few days that there's no one to discuss philosophy with me. Now that you're back, I'll definitely take you around the city to see more of our own place and experience the local atmosphere."

Xu Sheng warmly pulled Wang Daqi into the house. When his gaze swept over Xia Chunlian, a look of amazement flashed in his eyes, and he then politely cupped his hands in greeting.

Although Wang Daqi was inwardly apprehensive, he outwardly mimicked Xu Taibing's slightly reserved arrogance, speaking flawlessly: "Brother's hospitality is appreciated. I would like to stay a few more days, but unfortunately, the sect entrusted me with a task before my departure, and I have important matters to attend to, so I'm afraid I can't stay too long."

"Oh? Important matters concerning the sect???"

A glint flashed in Xu Sheng's eyes, which he quickly concealed, his smile widening. "I understand, I understand, disciples of major sects are always busy. However, you can't refuse the prize for 'bird hunting' today. How about we take your family member along for a relaxing getaway?"

Xu Sheng pointed at Xu Yan, his tone playful.

The servants in wealthy families like theirs were all used to warm the bed.

He knew his cousin well; he was a womanizer. So, in his mind, Xu Yan had definitely already been taken.

Wang Daqi casually put his arm around Xu Yan's shoulder and chuckled, "To be honest, my girl has been playing around lately. She heard about the bird-hunting competition and insisted on seeing it. Later, I'll have to ask the younger ones under you to go easy on her and not let her lose too badly."

"Oh? You want me to do it, girl?? Hahaha, sure! Sure!!"

Xu Sheng laughed a few times, then affectionately invited Wang Daqi and Xia Chunlian to sit down and have some tea.

After a few casual words, Xu Sheng transmitted his voice, "Brother Taibing, when are you going to win over your senior sister? You finally brought her back to the clan this time, you can't miss this opportunity!!"